Express girls ready for biggest challenge

With a Section 4 title in the bag, Elmira tries to knock off four-time defending state champion Ossining.

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Zaria Thomas makes a move with the ball for Elmira during a 50-37 win over Horseheads on Jan. 18 at Horseheads Middle School. Thomas leads the Express in scoring heading into its state quarterfinal against Ossining.
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Elmira High School's girls basketball team has reached new heights this season, highlighted by the program's first Section 4 championship. The Express sees no reason to stop now, even with New York state's top girls basketball program standing in the way.

The Express will take on Section 1 champion Ossining at 3 p.m. Saturday at Johnson City High School in a New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA regional final. The Pride (20-5) has won four straight New York public schools Class AA titles, is ranked fifth in the state this season and features senior guard Andra Espinoza-Hunter, whose future destination will be a UConn women's program that is riding an NCAA record streak of 107 straight victories.

"We're very excited about the opportunity," Elmira coach A'Don Allen said. "We feel like if we play our game and limit our turnovers, we have a legitimate chance to win this game."

Elmira brings a 19-2 record into Saturday, with both losses coming to Section 4 Class B champion Binghamton Seton Catholic Central. Elmira held on for a 75-70 victory over Binghamton High School on Saturday in the Section 4 title game after building a 21-point lead that was cut to one. The dynamic backcourt of senior Zaria Thomas and freshman point guard Kiara Fisher stepped up big for Elmira, with Thomas scoring 29 points and Fisher adding 21.

Thomas averaged 19.2 points to lead the team during the regular season and scored 56 in Elmira's two sectional games. Fisher's regular-season averages included 17.3 points, nine assists and 6.6 steals per game. Freshman forward Zaria DeMember-Shazer added 14 points for Elmira in the title game, matching her season average.

Fisher's week has been a tough one following the death of her father, Delmar Fisher, on Sunday at age 41. Calling hours and his funeral service are scheduled for Saturday morning at Walter J. Kent Funeral Home in Elmira. Allen said Kiara is planning to play Saturday.

Although earning the sectional championship was a focus after Elmira fell to Binghamton in last year's sectional final, a much more ambitious goal of a state title is only three victories away. This is just the sixth season for Elmira's combined program, which was the result of a merger between Elmira Free Academy and Southside.

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Alexus Boorse of Elmira goes in for a layup in front of Seton Catholic Central's Lexi Levy in a girls semifinal at the Josh Palmer Fund Elmira Holiday Inn Classic on Dec. 29 at Elmira High School.(Photo: Andrew Legare / Staff photo)

"Any time you hit your goal, you're relieved you got it, but we're not in a situation where we're happy to be at the state tournament and if we don't do well, so be it," Allen said. "We feel like we're in this to win the whole thing. It's nice to have a trophy and say you've been able to accomplish your goal, but now there's so much more."

Whether the Express can get by Ossining could hinge on its ability to deal with Espinoza-Hunter, who scored 19 of her 31 points in the second half Tuesday in a 60-44 victory over Monroe-Woodbury in the regional semifinals. Espinoza-Hunter has topped 50 points in a game this season and has more than 2,000 in her high school career. She played the previous three seasons for Blair Academy (New Jersey) after suiting up for Ossining as a seventh- and eighth-grader.

Allen hit the road Tuesday and went to White Plains to scout Ossining. He was extremely impressed with 6-foot-1 Pride sophomore Kailah Harris, though Espinoza-Hunter is the Pride's go-to player.

"She can score from pretty much anywhere on the floor," Allen said of Espinoza-Hunter. "We have to make her work for her shots. We know she's going to get hers, we just can't let her go off for a 40- or 50-point game."

AT A GLANCE

What: NYSPHSAA Class AA girls basketball regional final.

When: 3 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Johnson City High School.

At stake: The winner will meet either Section 6 champion Clarence or Section 5 champion Our Lady of Mercy in a state semifinal at 8 p.m. March 17 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. The championship game is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. March 18 at Hudson Valley.